Allen’s ankle just fine

Ray Allen’s sore ankle is no longer swollen and he’s relieved that the inflammation had nothing to do with his bone spur surgery last spring.

“It was strictly from just having rolled it and not really giving it the days of rest,” said Allen, who has scored 18 and 24 points the past two games after sitting out the previous two games. “Those days of rest were good to me.”

Allen’s ankle had been sore since rolling it at Charlotte on Nov. 24 and even though his shooting suffered he didn’t want to come out of the lineup.

“I’ve played hurt and had big games,” Allen said. “I’ve played sick and had big games and I’ve seen other players do it. It’s just a mental strength you need to have. We play 82 games. We’re never really 100 percent.”

But Allen admitted the ankle hindered him last week to the point that rest was necessary. Allen’s decision to sit was helped by the fact that he doesn’t have to carry this team by himself with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett around.

After Chauncey Billups scored a game-high 28 points against the Celtics Wednesday, there has been talk that the Celtics need a taller backup to guard big point guards. The Boston Globe reported that ex-Celtic Gary Payton, currently an unsigned free agent, would like to rejoin Boston. The Celtics haven’t expressed any interest in signing him though.

“Gary, he’s definitely a Hall of Famer,” Ray Allen said. “I like this team that we have though.”

The Celtics got a kick out of the Percy’s advertisement in the T&G this week that offered to reimburse the cost of TV and audio equipment purchases between Dec. 14-24 if the Celtics win the world championship this season.

“If I was in the market for a TV, I’d be willing to take that risk,” Brian Scalabrine said. “Those guys are going to go broke,” Tony Allen said. “I might go there. I might get two TVs.”

“I’m all for it. I love it,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

The Celtics said the possibility of free TVs and audio equipment added no more pressure on them to win the NBA title.

“Our job is to put pressure on Percy’s,” Rivers said.

The promotion shows how far the Celtics have come in a year. Last season, no customer would have risked anything on the Celtics winning a championship.

Percy’s paid the Celtics a fee for the promotion, a Celtics official said. Had the ad read “NBA championship” instead of “world championship” the store would have had to pay the NBA as well.

With the Celtics owning the NBA’s best record, the sponsorship dollars continue to roll in. Last night, Modell Sporting Goods signs hung on locker room walls and along each locker.

Ray Allen was more interested in the sign inside his locker listing all the Celtics who had worn his No. 20 before him. Allen liked Sherman Douglas the most.

“I played with him in Milwaukee,” Allen said.

Tony Allen said he learned his lesson after Billups pumped faked him and drew a foul with one-tenth of a second left Wednesday. Billups then made the game-winning free throws.

“I just look at it like we have a lot of games to play,” Allen said. “We play them more than once. If I get in that position again, I know to stay on my feet.”

Allen hadn’t played since the first half.

“It’s tough,” Allen said, “but that ain’t no excuse. I got to be ready to make that stop.”

Chicago’s Luol Deng is one of the toughest defenders on Pierce. In Chicago on Dec. 8, Deng limited Pierce to 1-of-8 shooting. In three games against Chicago last season, Pierce shot 31.8 percent and averaged only 13.3 points.

“He’s just long,” Rivers said of Deng. “Traditionally, long guys bother scorers.”

Rivers said the Celtics would try to pick Deng off to get him away from Pierce. Last night Pierce scored a game-high 22.

Rivers rated Deng, Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince and Sacramento’s Ron Artest as the three best against Pierce. It’s harder for anyone to guard Pierce this season because Garnett and Allen have drawn away double teams.

Rivers found out about Prince’s defensive ability when he was a rookie during the 2003 playoffs. Rivers’ Orlando team led Detroit, 3-1, so the Pistons put the little-used Prince on Tracy McGrady. Prince contained McGrady and the Pistons went on to win the series.